Printmaking Archives - Page 5 of 20

Perca punctata, The Negro-fish. (1785-1797) (1)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

The spotted perch glides across the page, its scales etched with precision. Dark bands ripple down its flank like shadows in water. Every fin, every gill slit rendered sharp enough to catch the light. A silent swimmer frozen mid-motion, yet alive with the energy of unseen currents.
Cataphractus costatus, The Rib-fish. (1785-1797)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

A spined fish, armored in bony plates, floats suspended on the page. Its ribbed body curves with precision, each scale etched in sharp detail—a specimen preserved not in brine, but ink and paper. The lines suggest motion, as if it might flick its tail and dart off the sheet.
Fauna japonica Pl.024 (1833-1850)

Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (German, 1796–1866)

Delicate wings spread against crisp paper, a Japanese insect preserved in ink. Every vein, every segment rendered with scientific precision—yet alive with motion, as if about to take flight from the page. Here, nature meets meticulous handwork, frozen in black and white.
Natural History (Galerya obrazowa zwiérząt czyli Historya naturalna) Pl.20 (1839)

Anton Benedikt Reichenbach (German, 1804–1877)

A detailed engraving of animals, their forms etched with precision—each line alive with texture and movement. The creatures seem to pause mid-motion, frozen in an intricate dance of fur, feather, and scale.
Cyprinus macrophthalmus, The Telescope. (1785-1797)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

A bulbous-eyed fish stares from the page, its scales meticulously etched. The exaggerated gaze gives it an almost alien presence, frozen mid-swim against blank parchment. Every fin and gill is rendered with scientific precision, yet the creature feels alive, as if it might flick its tail and vanish into the margins.
De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl36 (1779-1782)

Pieter Cramer (Dutch, 1721–1776)

Delicate wings unfurl in precise engravings—Asian, African, and American butterflies pinned to the page, their intricate patterns preserved like secrets. Each specimen whispers of distant forests and unseen skies, a silent migration across continents captured in ink.
Recherches sur les poissons fossiles Pl.391 (1833-1843)

Louis Agassiz (American, 1807–1873)

Delicate fins and sharp scales emerge from stone, frozen mid-motion. The engraving reveals ancient fish suspended in time, their forms precise yet ghostly against the blank page. Each line hints at life long vanished, preserved now only in these meticulous traces.
De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl44 (1779-1782)

Pieter Cramer (Dutch, 1721–1776)

Delicate wings unfurl in precise detail—vibrant patterns etched with scientific rigor. Each specimen, a fleeting glimpse of Asia’s hidden flutter, preserved in ink. The lines trace veins like rivers on a map, charting nature’s ephemeral beauty.
Collybia velutipes Curt (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

Delicate gills fan beneath the velvety cap, each rib precise as lace. The stem tapers to a whisper, its surface dusted with fine hairs. This fungus holds its ground with quiet confidence, a study in muted elegance against the stark white page.